Journal Staff Reports
Dead Woman ID'd as Prostitute
Victoria Chavez, a "known drug user and prostitute," is the woman who was found in a shallow grave on the West Mesa last week, APD spokesman John Walsh said Tuesday.
Police began searching a 100-acre area off 118th Street just north of Rio Bravo NW last week. They have found the remains of two other women there, neither of whom has been identified yet.
Police Chief Ray Schultz said at a news conference Monday that he believes the same person is responsible for putting the three bodies on the mesa.
Chavez's mother reported her missing in March 2005, Walsh said. Included in the missing persons report was a note that said Chavez's mother had not seen her daughter in more than a year and was concerned about her. The mother also said Chavez was on probation and was a "known drug user and prostitute."
Dispatcher Helps Save Puppy
A puppy is alive and well thanks to the quick thinking of an Albuquerque Fire Department dispatcher.
A man called 911 last week about 1 a.m. to report that his 16-week-old Shih Tzu was choking and unconscious, according to an AFD news release.
Alarm Driver Glen Sveum answered the call and gave the caller instructions on how to perform abdominal thrusts and expel the object stuck in the puppy's throat. Sveum also gave the caller CPR instructions and sent a rescue to the residence, according to the news release.
The puppy expelled dog food and started breathing on his own and has since been examined by a veterinarian. He is doing well.
Buy Vet Documentaries for $4
DVD copies of two recently released documentaries featuring New Mexico veterans are now available from the New Mexico Department of Veterans' Services for $4 apiece.
"Letters of Honor" and "Soldiers of Honor," produced by the department and directed by Emmy Award-winning director Tony Martinez, aired recently on PBS stations in Las Cruces and Albuquerque.
"Letters of Honor" shares letters written by soldiers on the battlefield  from World War II to the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan  to loved ones back home in New Mexico. The letters are read by surviving family members or, in some cases, by the soldiers who wrote them.
Each DVD costs $4. To order, specify which title you are purchasing and make checks payable to the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services. Mail to NMDVS, Bataan Memorial Building, 407 Galisteo St., Room 142, Santa Fe, NM 87504. Buyers must include their name, address and phone number to ensure accurate shipping.
For more information, call the department at (505) 827-6300.
Chávez Pays Fine for Speeding
His honor apparently let loose a little too much on a recent day off.
Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez was cited for speeding Jan. 30 near Tesuque and paid a $55 fine, according to press secretary Deborah James.
The speed limit was 65 mph, and a police officer pulled Chávez over for going 10 to 11 mph over.
"He fully believes in law enforcement," James said. "If, indeed, someone is given a speeding ticket and they feel it was not appropriate, they certainly should contest it, but if they know they did something wrong, they should pay the fine."
The mayor had taken vacation time that morning, she said.
"This is the second (speeding) ticket he's received in his whole life," James said. "He received one in his early 20s."
In that case, the mayor was driving a friend's van, and the speedometer didn't work, James said.
Aragon, Parra Sentencing Set
Former state Sen. Manny Aragon and engineer Raul Parra, co-defendants in the federal corruption case stemming from the construction of the Metropolitan Courthouse in Albuquerque, have been set for sentencing March 17 before U.S. District Judge William "Chip" Johnson.
Aragon's sentencing is set for 9:30 a.m. and Parra's for 1:30 p.m.
Aragon and Parra both pleaded guilty to conspiracy and mail fraud in the corruption scandal in which prosecutors said $4.2 million was siphoned off contracts.